The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Pimelea suteri

Etymology

Pimelea: from the Greek pimele, referring to the seeds

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - RR

Authority

Pimelea suteri Kirk

Family

Thymelaeaceae

Brief Description

Small shrub with erect thin hairy twigs bearing pairs of widely spaced pointed leaves that are hairy underneath, hairy white flowers and red fruit inhabiting ultramafic areas in the northern South Island and on Mid Dome (Southland). Leaves often brownish, 5-8mm long by 1-2mm wide.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PIMSUT

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Red Hills, Mt Dun, ultramafites of Richmond Range, West Dome).

Habitat

Montane to alpine. On ultramafic rocks in open, stony ground, or in shrubby or well-vegetated tussock grassland.

Features

Small, much-branched shrub. In open, exposed sites relatively compact and often appressed or decumbent, to 800 mm tall, with short, stiff stems. In shaded sites stems slender, procumbent, flexible, to 300 mm long. Branching sympodial and lateral, young stems medium brown, moderately densely covered in short, appressed hairs; internodes 1–2 mm (exposed sites), 3–5 mm (sheltered sites). Older stems dark brown to black, glabrate to glabrous. Node buttresses lunate to elongate, brown, hairy, not prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, ascending,becoming patent, on very short (0.2 mm) petioles or sessile. Lamina olive green, linear-lanceolate, sometimes slightly falcate, 5.0–8.0 × 0.8–2.0 mm, slightly keeled, may be inrolled when dry; tip acute, but blunt; base cuneate, mid-vein evident; abaxial surface covered with sparse, short hairs, along mid-vein and margins of young leaves, often with a small tuft at the tip; older leaves glabrous; stomata on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, loose, 4–10-flowered. Involucral bracts 4, wider than ordinary leaves (5.0 × 2.8 mm). Receptacles have dense, short hairs. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, on short (0.1 mm) pedicels, calyx lobes ascending, outside covered in very dense short hairs; inside hairless. Female tube 4.2 mm long, ovary portion 2.8 mm, calyx lobes 2 ×1 mm; hermaphrodite tube 4.5 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes 2.0 × 1.2 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary with small cluster of long hairs at summit. Fruits ovoid, red, fleshy, 4 × 2 mm. Seeds 2.3 ×1.2 mm. Crest very thin.

Similar Taxa

Until the ongoing revision of New Zealand Pimelea is completed (see other fact sheets) it is difficult to provide a set of reliable characters that distinguish Pimelea suteri from allied species (in particular members of the P. oreophila complex). Allan (1961) distinguished Pimelea suteri by the leaves bearing (at least when young) hairs (on the margins and apex), by the lamina being narrow-linear (which agrees mostly with the revised description offered by Burrows (2011) 8-9 mm long, and by the stiff "tortuous" branches. These features occur also in P. oreophila which was omitted from Allan's Pimelea treatment. In the past there has been much confusion between P. suteri and P. oreophila. It would seem that the best way to separate P. suteri from P. oreophila is by its restriction to ultramafic substrates; by its often erect, compact growth habit; short, stiff branches and narrow linear-lanceolate leaves. In time, once the Pimelea revision is completed other characters will become evident

Flowering

September - February

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

December - April

Propagation Technique

Can be grown from semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings. Usually rather slow growing and does best when planted in a well drained, sunny situation (such as in a rockery) or in a pot. Responds well to regular applications of magnesium rich fertiliser

Threats

Pimelea suteri is a narrow-range, biologically sparse, obligate endemic of ultramafic substrates and their associated soils. Although it is common in the northern part of its range it is rather scarce in the southern part of its range. No threats have been identified for this species other than the spread of wildling pines on the Red Hills in the upper Wairau.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 6 Jan 2014